Perinatal PTSD

A form of post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by women in late pregnancy or following the birth of a child induced by a trauma (real or perceived) related to the pregnancy or the birth. The condition may arise from feelings of powerlessness or lack of support during the delivery, earlier pregnancies that ended in a miscarriage or stillbirth, situations where the newborn was premature or seriously ill and needed to spend time in intensive care, an unplanned C-section or use of a vacuum extractor or foreceps to deliver the baby, or a prolapsed cord. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the perceived traumatic event, difficulty sleeping, and anxiety and/or panic attacks.